Panda Peeks – Poppo Kanteen

Other than some exorbitantly-priced chains, most home-grown restaurants tend to focus on a single culture’s cuisine – for example, Chinese or Indian, but never both in the same place. Poppo Kanteen is bridging this gap by offering its customers delectable offerings from all the major ethnicities in Malaysia, making it a truly one-of-a-kind experience.

When we went over to Poppo Kanteen for our food review, we were overwhelmed with the variety available in the menu. The restaurant crew were nice enough to recommend the best dishes they have so we sat back and waited excitedly for our spread.

The first thing that came out: three very interesting-looking drinks. Tomato Asam Boi, anybody? How about Lemon Asam Boi or Kedondong Nanas Asam Boi? Asam Boi is preserved plum, and for those who aren’t Malaysian, it may seem like a strange ingredient to have in a drink, but it lends a refreshing tartness and an unmissable kick in your drink! We thoroughly enjoyed all three versions.

Our food spread was definitely unique! We tried many different dishes, from their famous Nasi Lemak, the chef’s specialty dish: Gam Chicken Briyani, Seafood Tom Yam and two side dishes: Poppo Crispy Tofu and Serunding Cheese Toast. Where do we start? The tom yam, perhaps, because it was the perfect appetiser – light, not too sour yet not skimping on the spice factor. A good place to start for beginners!

The Gam Chicken Briyani was a showstopper! The rice was fluffy and flavourful, and the chicken thigh was tender and well marinated in the briyani masala, complementing the rice well. We loved it! The Nasi lemak too was a crowd favourite. Crispy fried chicken with the rice and the usual suspects – what could go wrong? The sambal was spicy but still friendly enough for chili foes, and the rice was fragrant like how nasi lemak should be.

The snacks we tried were quite unusual, but thoroughly Malaysian. The Poppo Crispy Tofu was lathered in a kind of sweet-spicy-sour sauce which absolutely popped! The crunchiness of the tofu was perfect with the thick sauce and we were floored. The Serunding Cheesy Toast? So much love for such a simple snack of toast topped with chicken floss and cheese. Sometimes, it’s not what it’s made of, but how it’s made!

Give Poppo Kanteen a try, and savour the best Malaysian flavours there are!